Currie Cup Bulletin #11

All eight provincial teams will have plenty to play for in the sixth round of the Currie Cup Premier Division this weekend, while the First Division and Mzansi Challenge continues with matches in George, Despatch, Harare and Strand.

The sixth round of the Premier Division will commence with the Cell C Sharks hosting the Vodacom Bulls at 15h30 on Friday in Durban. The hosts come into this match on the back of a 19-12 win against the defending champions, the Airlink Pumas, while the Vodacom Bulls claimed their first win of the campaign last week, when they beat Windhoek Draught Griquas 40-3.

This clash – a rerun of the Currie Cup Finals of 2020 and 2021 – will be particularly important, with both the Cell C Sharks and the Vodacom Bulls looking to build on their recent wins with the halfway mark of the competition looming. The Cell C Sharks are in fourth place on the Premier Division log, and may view this game as an opportunity to add to their points tally.

The Vodacom Bulls certainly made a statement when they scored six tries in the big win against Windhoek Draught Griquas last week. The result marked their first win of the 2023 tournament, and brought an end to the franchise’s 10-game losing streak.

They will be determined to deliver a repeat of that performance in Durban this Friday – although they will be without a number of Springboks, who have rejoined their Vodacom United Rugby Championship squad ahead of the must-win match against Zebre Parma.

DHL Western Province will tackle the Toyota Cheetahs on Saturday afternoon in Cape Town, in what could very well be another absorbing encounter.

The hosts will be confident after securing a 47-28 win against NovaVit Griffons in the Mother City last week, as will the men from Bloemfontein, following their 52-15 victory against the Fidelity ADT Lions in Johannesburg.

DHL WP scored seven tries last week, while the Toyota Cheetahs went one better and racked up eight in Gauteng. Some might anticipate a high-scoring encounter this Saturday, but the team that delivers the better defensive performance may well emerge with the spoils.

It’s an important match for both teams, who will be aiming to strengthen their respective positions on the log. If the Toyota Cheetahs prevail in Cape Town on Saturday, and if the NovaVit Griffons upset the defending champions in Welkom on Sunday, then the men from Bloemfontein will finish the round at the top of the standings.

The first of two matches on Sunday will see the NovaVit Griffons battling the Airlink Pumas at 14h00 in Welkom. The hosts will be looking to bounce back after a loss to DHL WP, while the defending champs will be keen to atone for their recent defeat to the Cell C Sharks, and they will have a point to prove at the Down Touch Investments Stadium.

What’s more, the men from Mpumalanga have no reason to take the NovaVit Griffons lightly, as the Northern Free Staters claimed a historic win against the Vodacom Bulls at home as recently as two weeks ago.

The Fidelity ADT Lions will play Windhoek Draught Griquas on Sunday at 16h05 in Johannesburg. The hosts are in fifth place on the Premier Division log, while the visitors are in sixth. Both sides will be determined to secure a win that propels them up the standings, and strengthens their chances of qualifying for the playoffs.

The hosts will be aiming for a sharper all-round performance after conceding eight tries and 52 points to the Toyota Cheetahs last week. They should be wary of a dangerous Windhoek Draught Griquas side that has already claimed a couple of big scalps this season – after beating the Cell C Sharks and DHL WP.

Currie Cup First Division / Mzansi Challenge

Two big games are scheduled for the South-Eastern Cape this weekend. The high-flying SWD Eagles will host the Valke on Friday at 15h30 in George, while Eastern Province will tackle the Leopards on Saturday at 15h00 in Despatch.

North of the border, Zimbabwe will be looking to make a statement in their Mzanzi Challenge clash against the Windhoek Draught Welwitschias on Saturday at 15h00 in Harare. The San Clemente Rhinos will face Kenya on Saturday at 15h00 in Strand.

Currie Cup Premier Division match information:

Cell C Sharks v Vodacom Bulls

Venue: Hollywoodbets Kings Park, Durban

Date: Friday, 14 April

Time: 15h30

Referee: AJ Jacobs

TV: SuperSport

DHL Western Province v Toyota Cheetahs

Venue: DHL Stadium, Cape Town

Date: Saturday, 15 April

Time: 15h00

Referee: Marius vd Westhuizen

TV: SuperSport

NovaVit Griffons v Airlink Pumas

Venue: Down Touch Investments Stadium, Welkom

Date: Sunday, 16 April

Time: 14h00

Referee: Aimee Barrett-Theron

TV: SuperSport

Fidelity ADT Lions v Windhoek Draught Griquas

Venue: Emirates Airline Park, Johannesburg

Date: Sunday, 16 April

Time: 16h05

Referee: Griffin Colby

TV: SuperSport